Car slams into pipeline, causing explosion in NW Harris County

Monday, January 01, 2007

(01/01/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- Crews were on the scene of a pipeline explosion Monday night.

It happened near the intersection of FM 1960 and Kuykendahl in NW Harris County. Investigators say two cars were involved in an accident when one flipped over the fence and hit a natural gas pipeline meter station, triggering the explosion. Soon, flames were shooting 70 feet into the air.

Joe Cain was eating dinner with his family at the time. He felt and saw the explosion outside his apartment balcony.

"It shook the place. It did shake it," he told us. "I could feel it when it went off. I felt it and the lights went out immediately."

"It looked like daylight from 1960," said Lt. David Paige with the Ponderosa Fire Department. "There was a roar and there was extremely heavy fire, high pressure fire."

As of our 10pm newscast Monday, the flame was still burning, but was much smaller than it had been before and was under control. There was one occupant each in the vehicles involved in the accident. Amazingly, they were both able to walk away. There were no evacuations ordered.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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